This bit I dont get11 Apr 2018 14:31
Two respected posters turned ferrule.
There is an intellectual disconnect between the Report recently posted (which was good savy and comprehensive) and the spiteful drivel being posted now. I have asked if the poster claiming Authorship of the Report has Mining Geology or Engineering formal background but havnt had a response surprisingly. !!!
For me the pedigree behind the Report is in question which prompted my curiosity.
So I support the poster who is putting an entirely reasonable question about the stagnation of the sp over a long period of time.
I suggest the answer from someone with intellectual grasp would be as follows.
When an embryonic mining Co is formed it usually is formed as an Expo Co. It will then conduct a surface examination with Geochemical grab sampling, some trenching sampling and lots of Geological mapping from surface outcropping. If interest can be sustained it can progress to more technically sophisticated methods and probe sub surface using appropriate geophysical techniques. Then if this still looks good a drilling campaign can be rolled out over the interesting sites identified by the expo procedures.
Initially the sp is dreary but as each bit of news is released if it progressively suggests a mineral resource might be present then the sp will tighten. When the drill samples are assayed the results; if they confirm there is a mineral occurrence then the sp can move up quite strongly and this can continue as and if the grades off the drill samples released are good. This continues generally to the point when a jorc compliant mineral resource is declared.
Many serious investors will exit at this point as they are now into scoping studies and Feasibility studies and then EIA (environmental impact assessments) This is expensive and time consuming and many fall at this point so the pros will not want the risk and take their profits ......... so sp widdles down and stays down. Once decision to Mine happens then fund raising (sp perks a little maybe but still in doldrums) and Mine build. Sp still dodgy but underlying firmness is evident.
First gold pour. Good strengthening but sp still well below the heady expo days. As production progresses and folks can see the numbers are matching the DFS then over the next 2 or three years if Management and resource and politics look strong and Free cash flow well established then sp rises steadily and will often match the peak reached in the expo phase (depending on the cash raising history).
That's where we are now. Sp then levels off but may rise again if more or better resources are proved up or if production is jacked up and this produces better FCF or of course if the price of product increases